Iran’s pharmaceutical industry faces high R&D expenses, international sanctions, and dependency on imported raw materials. This study develops and contextualizes a comprehensive coopetition model tailored to these challenges. A three-stage qualitative research design was employed. First, a meta-synthesis of 718 scientific sources identified 45 relevant studies, resulting in 45 initial components, 8 dimensions, and 3 major categories. Second, thematic analysis supported by 15 semi-structured interviews with academic and industry experts refined the model to 77 components. Third, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) was used to establish hierarchical relationships among the eight dimensions across five levels. MICMAC analysis further classified dimensions into three groups: (a) driving/independent (macro-environmental factors, market and technology dynamics, strategic leadership capacities, legal-institutional structures); (b) autonomous (operational agility); and (c) dependent (participatory governance, strategic sharing, and coopetition coordination). No linkage dimensions were identified.
The model demonstrates the potential to enhance innovation, reduce collaboration risks, and create shared value. It provides a strategic foundation for policymaking and managerial decision-making in Iran’s pharmaceutical sector and offers a conceptual basis for future research in similar regulated and sanction-affected industries. Importantly, the findings reveal that coopetition cannot develop sustainably through firm-level initiatives alone; rather, it requires supportive macro-level conditions, including supportive governmental policies, economic predictability, constructive international relations, and strengthened social capital.